558 FLIGHT International, 4 October 1962
TALKING ABOUT ATC
THE GUILD Or AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL OFFICERS' CONVENTION
FROM October 9 to 11—Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week—the Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers is holding its fourth convention, at the Town Hall, Bourne
mouth.
On the first day, after the official opening by the Mayor of
Bournemouth and other inaugural events in the morning, two
papers will be read, one by Mr P. G. Masefield on Problems of
Airspace for General Aviation and the other by Gp Capt Douglas
Bader on Air Traffic Control and Executive Flying.
Five papers are scheduled for the second day, as follows: Air
Traffic Control into the 1970s?, by D. W. Watkins; Telecommuni
cations Field Engineering in Air Traffic Control, by W. P. Nicol;
Stress and Performance in Air Traffic Control, by K. G. G. Corkin-
dale; Collision Avoidance by Radar Control, by E. S. Calvert; and
Air Traffic Control and Aeroflot, by E. Smirnov.
Airmed Ltd will be showing the new Stratolite ultra-lightweight head
set, which weighs less than 3oz complete with boom microphone.
With this headset, it is stated, no pressure is applied to the ears,
making for greater comfort over long periods of use. Also on dis
play will be the latest version of the well-known Airlite range, the
Airlite 62 headset with boom microphone.
Amplrvox Ltd are exhibiting an example of the first production
model of the new JeUite headset, which weighs only 5oz and is
claimed by the company to be the most appropriate for ATC use.
It may be fitted with magnetic or carbon microphones, high or low
impedance headphones and a new miniature lapel switch. Other
equipment displayed will be the Ampliphone pocket intercommuni
cations amplifier, a crash helmet noise-cancelling boom microphone,
ear defender headset, finger microphone and Supersonex ear
defenders.
Bournemouth Air Taxis are illustrating the three aspects of their
activities at Hum Airport: flying training to PPL and CPL Stan-
dard (carried out in controlled airspace and consequently involv
ing up-to-date radio techniques); charter flying; and aviation con
sultancy. The company operate Cessnas, Austers and a Rapide.
British Air Line Pilots Association hope to have on their stand a
tape recorder playing back actual recordings of VHF transmissions
between controllers and pilots using precision approach radar at
London Airport. Photographs will illustrate the close co-operation
between airline pilots and ATC.
Cossor Radar & Electronics Ltd will show scale models of their
CR353 meteorological radar (10cm equipment of 200 n.m. range)
and SSR4G civil secondary surveillance radar (range 180 n.m. at
30,000ft) as used at London Airport and now being installed at
Orly. Photographs will illustrate the new SSR1600 airborne second
ary radar transponder, available for evaluation in November.
Decca Radar Ltd will have as their main equipment on show the
series 5 autonomous interscan display, which provides a means
whereby existing operations centres can be quickly extended to
meet changing operational requirements. These transistorized
displays are available in versions suitable for use with all types of
military or civil surveillance radar and with height-finding radars.
On the third day it is hoped to have a contribution by a repre
sentative of CEAC (Committee for European Airspace Co-ordin
ation); there will be a paper on Harco, the proposed radio navi
gation system for Eurocontrol, by J. Adam; and an Any Questions ?
session will be held under the chairmanship of Capt H. L. Lee, of
BOAC, with a panel of eight specialists.
Concurrently with the convention there will be an exhibition in
which a number of companies and organizations concerned in
various degrees with air traffic control will display relevant pro
ducts or describe their work. Below we give brief details of exhibits
by the majority of these participants.
Intending visitors to the convention and exhibition are asked to
notify the Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers, 14 South Street,
London Wl (telephone Grosvenor 1738—or. after office hours,
Aldershot 22830).
Elliott Automation Ltd (Aircraft Direction Division) Visitors to
this stand will be able to watch an ATC demonstration using a
remote computer over Telex from the company's Boreham Wood,
Herts, premises.
Also featured will be the new Euclid experimental air traffic
control system, now being made by Elliotts for the MoA, illustrated
by drawings, models of the consoles, and an actual module of
indicators. The Freda control system—Elliott's private venture,
an operational device based on a production industrial computer,
which can be incorporated quickly into existing centres—will
also be illustrated.
Ferranti Ltd are exhibiting pictures of their Apollo computer and
a small model of it. Printed circuit packages as used in the com- .
puter are also being shown. Apollo is the specially modified com
puter supplied by Ferranti to the MoA for experiments in the semi
automatic control of traffic over the North Atlantic.
Norman Frizzell (Life and Pensions) Ltd are showing in the exhib
ition at the invitation of the Guild of Air Traffic Control Officers.
Delegates to the convention who may be taking up new appoint
ments, and have house-purchase problems, can be assisted with
information. The company also deal with pension schemes and
educational services.
General Precision Systems Ltd This company's air traffic manage
ment division are showing a miniature alpha-numeric indicator and
a flight progress strip printer. The former comprises a motor-driven
flexible belt display with character read out in digital form with
control of belt position and read-back of the displayed character.
The strip printer is the basic element in a system for the printing,
automatic loading and distribution of flight progress strips in
ATC.
IBM United Kingdom Ltd will show how computers at the IBM
London data centre are being used for runway usage simulation
programme. Also featured is the IBM Phase I system complex of
New York Air Route Traffic Control Center based on an IBM
1410 Data Processing system.
International Aeradio Ltd This company's engineering division
are showing an ATC desk for airfield and approach control opera-
IN THE EXHIBITION